Dismissed Bamban, Tarlac Mayor Alice Guo was finally caught after months of hiding. Not by the Philippine government, but by Indonesian authorities.
It was on Tuesday night, September 3, (Jakarta time) when she was arrested inside a hotel in Tangerang City in Banten province, Indonesia.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that they are in close coordination with Indonesian authorities for the immediate deportation of Guo, whose passport was already canceled by the national government.
The police said that Guo would be turned over to the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms when she returned to the country.
It is still not known if Guo and her family had inside help from the government when they fled the country sometime in July.
But President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier warned that “heads will roll” over the escape of the dismissed mayor, who was tagged to illegal Chinese gambling operations, money laundering, and human trafficking. She is also facing cases for tax evasion.
The President on Wednesday, September 4, said that government officials involved in the escape of Guo will be held accountable and will face criminal charges.
“All of those who are implicated in assisting Alice Guo to leave the Philippines illegally as a fugitive from justice will certainly pay the price,” Marcos said.
He also said that he already has a “very, very good idea” on whose heads will roll, based on the initial result of the investigation on the matter. He added that they include personnel from the Bureau of Immigration.
Marcos also warned those who attempt to evade justice since the arm of the law is long and it will reach them.
The President also said that Guo shall be entitled to all legal protections due to her under the laws of the land, “but we will not allow this to prolong the resolution of the case, whose outcome will be a victory for the Filipino people,” he added.
Alice Guo’s sister Shiela, along with Cassandra Li Ong, who was also linked to the illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogo) hub in Porac, Pampanga, was also intercepted in Indonesia on August 21.
Shiela Guo said that they left the country using three boats to reach Malaysia.
Senate committee chairperson Senator Risa Hontiveros also said that she is expecting Guo to face the inquiry upon her arrival in the Philippines.
It would be interesting to know if Alice Guo would finally spill the beans if she is presented in the Senate hearing, which she earlier avoided.
But lest we forget, kudos to Indonesian authorities for capturing the fugitive Guo.